Chencho Dema

Gasa—Travelling to the highland village of Laya in Gasa, which hosts the annual Royal Highland Festival among its rolling hills, will become much easier, as the road inches closer to this remote gewog.

Located at an elevation of 3,820 metres above sea level, Laya gewog is one of the highest settlements in Bhutan—home to the indigenous Layap people. This remote and rugged gewog is the second largest in size among the four gewogs in Gasa.

The road construction project, which began in the 2012-13 fiscal year with an initial budget of Nu 70 million, has seen significant progress. The 24-kilometre stretch from Gasa to Tongchudrak was completed in 2018.

However, the original plan was to construct the road till Tongchudrak, requiring Laya residents to walk the last leg of their journey to their village, which would take an additional four hours.

To address this, the road construction was extended to Taktse Makha, adding another 6.1km. This extension, now under the Department of Surface Transport, includes the construction of two Bailey bridges—one at Tongchudrak and another at Tshatshamchu.

In the fiscal year 2023-24, the government has allocated Nu 65.5 million for the construction of this 6.1km stretch, covering formation cutting and other permanent works.

Officials from the Department of Surface Transport (DoST) said that the final leg to Laya gewog centre from Taktse Makha, which is around 10 km, has not been decided yet.

The construction of the 6.1km road began on September 21, 2023, and is expected to complete by April 7, 2025.

Officials from DoST highlighted several challenges in executing the project. The remote location presents significant challenges, including labour shortages, equipment delays, and adverse weather conditions that hinder progress.

“Harsh weather, including light rains from April to June and heavy monsoon downpours from July to September, severely limits the working season,” a DoST official explained. “Additionally, a flash flood during the 2023 monsoon caused further delays, requiring additional countermeasures.”

Laya shares an international border with Tibet in the north and has a population of more than 1,000 people.

Gasa Dzongkhag was connected by a 74-km National Sub-Highway from Punakha only in 2011. What once took two days on horseback can now be done in just three hours by car.